צַ֫עַד (tsa.ad)
tsa.ad
step
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 13 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun tsa.ad refers to a single step, pace, or stride. In Scripture it appears thirteen times, primarily in Job, Proverbs, and Second Samuel. It describes the physical act of walking, but often carries a sense of measured movement or progress.
Its most notable usage is metaphorical. The word frequently describes the "steps" of a person’s life or conduct. For example, Proverbs 4:26 urges readers to "ponder the path of your feet," using this term to suggest that one’s moral direction is determined by each deliberate step taken. It implies intentionality rather than random wandering.
Translators usually render it simply as "step" or "footsteps." This keeps the concrete imagery while allowing the spiritual application to emerge naturally from the context. The word reminds readers that life’s trajectory is built one step at a time, with each movement carrying weight and consequence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word tsa.ad describes a single step or pace. In Scripture, it appears thirteen times, often linking physical movement with moral direction. It suggests that life is not random wandering but a series of deliberate choices. Each step carries weight and consequence for your journey.
This imagery offers comfort. When you feel uncertain about the future, remember that your trajectory is built one step at a time. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that while we plan our course, Yahweh directs our steps. This does not remove our responsibility to choose wisely but assures us that God is actively involved in our path.
Whether you are walking through joy or hardship, your steps are seen and known. You do not walk alone. Trust that the One who counts your steps also guides your way forward with care and purpose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 13 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- steps/ my3×
- step[s]/ his2×
- steps/ our1×
- steps/ his1×
- steps/ her1×
- steps1×
- step[s]/ your1×
- step[s]/ my1×
- step1×
- [the] steps of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צַעֲדֽ/וֹ\׃2×
- צָ֑עַד1×
- צַעֲדֶ֑/ךָ1×
- צַעֲדֵ֣י1×
- צַעֲדִ֖/י1×
- צְעָדָ֥י/ו1×
- צְעָדַ֥/י1×
- צְעָדַ֣/י1×
- צְעָדֶ֥י/הָ1×
- צְעָדֵ֔י/נוּ1×
- צְעָדִ֑ים1×
- צְ֭עָדַ/י1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps.
This verse highlights the balance between human planning and divine guidance, showing that God actively directs our steps despite our own intentions.
-
Job 31:4
Doesn’t he see my ways, and count all my steps?
Job uses this word to express his confidence that God observes every detail of his conduct, counting each step as a measure of integrity.
-
II Samuel 22:37
You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped.
David describes how God stabilizes his steps, preventing him from slipping even in the midst of intense conflict and danger.
-
Jeremiah 10:23
Yahweh, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
Jeremiah acknowledges human limitation, admitting that we cannot independently direct our own steps without divine help.